Jim Stephens' Gracenotes from Resource Ministries International

The Desert Road

ByJim Stephens

Scripture: Acts 8:26-40

26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he did… (Acts 8:26-27a NLT)

Philip the deacon was the key man in a powerful move of God’s Spirit that involved miracles of healing and demonstrations of God’s power over demons. I love Philip’s willingness to go to the outcast Samaritans with the Good News of Jesus. The apostles came from Jerusalem and added their input and put their stamp of approval on the wonderful thing that was occurring. After they went back home, Philip carried on ministering powerfully in Samaria. Think of it! God used Philip the deacon, a man full of the spirit and wisdom, to start the biggest outbreak of faith in Jesus outside of Jerusalem so far! That’s no small thing!

Then God told him to leave Samaria—to leave the wonderful revival in which he was the key man and very successful—and go over to a desert road that ran through the Judean wilderness. Leave it all and do what? It would be one thing if Philip was having a hard time getting anyone to listen to his message, or if he was homesick for Jerusalem, or if the people wanted to run him out of town, but everything was going great! And THEN God’s angel told him to leave and “go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

Here’s the amazing thing: Philip simply got up and went!

I don’t know what’s the greatest thing in this story, the miracles Philip was doing or the fact that he had the sensitivity, God-awareness, and humility to hear God tell him to leave an overwhelmingly successful place and season of ministry and go stand by a desolate road in an empty desert!

I know that I admire Philip for responding to the needs of the outcast Samaritans and taking the Message of Hope and the power of God to them. And I admire Philip even more for being willing to let go and leave his popular and successful ministry to very many people and go into an uncertain future. His only certainty was that he had heard God clearly direct him, and his only desire was to be where God wanted him to be.

Prayer:

Father, I want to have the confidence that I could hear you speaking about going to a desolate wilderness when I’m in the middle of busy, noisy, successful ministry. Help me to have that kind of sensitivity and humility. Help me to be Spirit-directable. Amen.